7 Creative Ways to Store Spices

By
Ashley Knierim
Photo of Ashley Knierim
Ashley Knierim

Ashley Knierim is a home decor expert and product reviewer of home products for The Spruce. Her design education began at a young age. She has over 10 years of writing and editing experience, formerly holding editorial positions at Time and AOL.

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Updated on 06/05/20
spice rack

Jeffrey Coolidge / The Image Bank / Getty Images

You probably don't spend a lot of time thinking about your spices, but when you're looking for that jar of cardamom you haven't seen since last winter and spend endless time digging around your clutter drawer, you'll wish you had a better system. Whether you use a few key spices every day or you're an adventurous cook who keeps an endless spice stash on hand, these ideas will help you get organized and stay that way. From whimsical to practical, these DIYs can be done in just a few hours.

  • 01 of 07

    Test It Out

    spice storage
    Dream Book Design

    This is a great idea if you're one of those people who swears by a few great spices. This DIY test tube rack looks great on a kitchen counter and will give you easy access to your go-to spices. Simply empty out 10 spice containers into empty test tubes (hint: Amazon has them for under $10), pick up a cheap wooden box from any craft store and put them together. This blogger even did it for a Christmas gift, which is a great idea for any of those hard-to-buy-for family members who love to cook.

    DIY Test Tube Spice Rack from Dream Book Design

  • 02 of 07

    Use Your Fridge

    labeled spices
    A Beautiful Mess

    We love the idea of finally putting that awkward space on the side of your fridge to use. This DIY magnetic spice rack can be tucked away but is still easy to access if your workspace is next to your fridge. To copy this DIY, buy a few small jars (or reuse baby food jars), glue a magnet to the lid and add a fun label. This blogger added a chalkboard for more organization, but you can also place them directly on the fridge. This is another one where you'll want to pick out a few of your top spices rather than clutter the whole fridge, but you'll appreciate how easy they are to get to when you're busy stirring a batch of red sauce.

    DIY Magnetic Spice Storage from A Beautiful Mess

  • 03 of 07

    Go Vintage

    spice storage
    Nine Red

    If you dig the vintage look, this retro soda box shelf is totally up your alley. You can pick one of these up at most flea markets or thrift stores with a little digging. Since the dividers are already intact, all you have to do is grab some cheap clear containers (uniform is the way to go, since this shelf will be displayed prominently) and arrange as you please. You can even add chalkboard paint to the bottom of the jar for easy identification.

    DIY Spice Rack from Nine Red

  • 04 of 07

    Tic Tacs

    spice storage
    Seattle Sundries

    This cute and easy idea is perfect for small apartments or even RV travelers. Blogger Seattle Sundries simply emptied out used Tic Tac containers and put an assortment of their most-used spices in them. We love how easy this idea is to take with you on the go, whether you tend to cook dinner at a friend's house or need a few extra spices for a picnic.

    Repurposed TicTac Boxes for Travel Spices from Seattle Sundries

    Continue to 5 of 7 below.
  • 05 of 07

    Tension Rods

    spice storage
    Bless'er House

    Most of us probably stuff spices in a cabinet, but utilizing drawer space can be far more efficient. Rather than tossing a bunch of containers in the drawer, we love the idea of using cheap tension rods to create pseudo shelves for layers of spices.

    Dollar Store Spice Organization from Bless'er House

  • 06 of 07

    Hang Them Up

    spice storage
    Dream Green DIY

    The best part of displaying your spices is that they're often colorful enough to live as decor on their own. We adore this very simplistic idea for showing off spices that just takes a few screw hooks, wire, and some clear matching jars. If you go through spices quickly or you have an awkward amount of wall space that can't quite fit a rack, this is a great way to store and show off spices.

    DIY Spice Jar Storage from Dream Green DIY

  • 07 of 07

    Unused Space

    spice storage
    Instructables

    Most of us have unused space between the fridge that goes to waste and this innovative idea is perfect for those tight areas. This rolling drawer can be easily DIY-ed to fit your kitchen and it's a good alternative if you just can't spare any extra drawer or cabinet space or your spice collection is too large for a countertop solution.

    Hidden Fridge Gap Slide-Out Pantry from Instructables